Rio 2016 round-up: Team GB women break team pursuit track cycling record

By Rachel Swatman
Published
The first week of the 2016 Rio Olympics is coming to a close and a multitude of incredible sporting world records have already been broken.
 
Here Guinness World Records shines a spotlight on some of the amazing feats that have been achieved so far.
 

Fastest women's 4-km team pursuit – track cycling

 
The women’s GB track cycling team, consisting of Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell-Shand, has smashed Australia’s record after securing an amazing time of 4 min 13.260 sec during yesterday’s qualifying race.
 
Stay tuned to find out if they can better their time in the next round.
 
 

First independent to win a gold medal

 
Since Kuwait has been suspended from the Olympic Games, professional target shooter Fehaid Al-Deehani represented the Independent Athletes team in the double trap shooting.
 
Fehaid beat Italy's Marco Innocenti in the final 28-26 and took home the first ever gold medal for an independent sportsman.
 
 

Fastest swim long course 100 metres butterfly (female)

 
22-year-old Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström has broken her own record in the 100 metres butterfly event after achieving a stunning time of 55.48 seconds.
 
After bettering her previous benchmark of 55.64 seconds which she achieved in Russia last year, Sjöström became the first ever Swedish female to win a gold medal in an Olympics swimming event.
 
 

Most medals won at the Olympics for diving (female)

 
Wu Minxia from China extended her record by achieving her seventh Olympic medal alongside her partner Shi Tingmao as they competed in the women's synchronised 3 metre springboard.
 
 
Of Wu’s seven medals five are gold along with one silver medal and one bronze.
 
At 30 years old, Wu also holds the overall record for being the Oldest person to win an Olympic gold medal for diving.
 
Not only this, she has equalled American basketball player Lisa Leslie’s record of 4 for the Most consecutive gold medals in a team Olympic event (female).
 

Most consecutive Olympic appearances by a gymnast (female)

 
The most consecutive Olympic appearances by a female gymnast is seven, achieved by Oksana Chusovitina (Uzbekistan) from 1992 to 2016.
 
Oksana won gold in her Olympic debut in Barcelona 1992 when she represented the Olympic Unified team. In Beijing 2008 she added to her medals tally by winning the Silver medal for Germany. Her most recent appearance came at the 2016 Rio Olympics representing Uzbekistan on the vault.
 

Oldest Olympic road cycling gold medallist

Kristin Armstrong (USA, b. 11 August 1973) won gold in the women’s time trail at the 2016 Olympic Games at the incredible age of 42 years 365 days.
 
In horrible wet conditions, Kristin won the 29.7 km course with a time of 44 min 26.42 sec and became the first woman to win the event at three consecutive Olympic Games.

Most Olympic medals won

Unstoppable American swimmer Michael Phelps now has a staggering 26 Olympic medals and, at 31 years old, is also the Oldest medallist in an individual swimming event (male).